THE EL TORO AIRPORT INITIATIVE : Measure A Involves Unknown Factors That Make It Too Dangerous : Nobody knows how a commercial facility could be financed.

Do the citizens of Orange County want the opportunity to explore all land use alternatives for El Toro Marine Corps Air Station using a rational, intelligent approach that will create a strong reuse plan? Or do the voters wish to mandate that the 4,700 acres be converted to an international/cargo airport absent any economic analysis or feasibility studies?

Aborting a methodical, comprehensive planning process already established under defense base closure law in favor of appeasing the city of Newport Beach and a couple of powerful developers through the approval of Measure A portends a disastrous result for the following reasons:

1. Guarantees an uncertain financial future. A $4-billion, LAX-style airport with no identified major capital subsidies may saddle Orange County taxpayers with a county junk bond rating and decades of debt. Should FAA fund 15% of the cost of a new airport ($200 million) and $170 million in revenue bonds be sold, taxpayers will still be holding the bag with a $600-million shortfall. Will airport proponents ask taxpayers to support a $600-million general obligation bond? The defeat of Measure A will be a victory for every taxpayer in the county.

2. Jeopardizes air safety. El Toro is part of the LAX airspace. Potential conflicts with approach and departure operations among John Wayne, Ontario, LAX and Long Beach already exist. Fifteen different aviation studies indicate commercial flights out of El Toro would carry the highest potential for civilian casualties.

3. Eliminates visionary possibilities. To predetermine El Toro’s use as an airport is to slam the door shut on the future: advanced biomedical industrial development, clean technology R&D; centers, higher education facilities, CAL STARTS’ electric car manufacturing program and a Native American cultural center are all potential uses that deserve study. The airport proposal creates fewer jobs than many other uses.

4. Creates another airport we may not need. Long Beach, Ontario, LAX and John Wayne are all underutilized. John Wayne (currently serving 6 million) has the capacity for 14 million air passengers annually. Cargo carriers have stated that two daily flights out of John Wayne Airport would satisfy their cargo demands to 2010.

What makes Measure A so dangerous is the unknown. Simply put, nobody knows how much it will cost to convert El Toro to a commercial airport, nobody knows where the money will come from, nobody can guarantee that a second airport won’t have serious, negative impacts throughout the county.